What Is a Social Media Competitor Analysis (& How to Do It)

A social media competitor analysis reveals exactly how your competitors are crushing it online. 

Sure, some of their success is obvious. Flawless feeds and social copy that hits harder than your morning espresso.

But looking good is only half the story.

In 2025, understanding your competition isn't just smart—it's survival. 

Ready to flip the script?

Let's do this.

What Is a Social Media Competitor Analysis?

Think of social media competitor analysis as your own personal reconnaissance mission.

Minus the black turtleneck and night vision goggles. 

It's the process of methodically evaluating your competitors' social media strategy and performance to understand what's working in your industry.

And what’s falling flatter than your productivity after discovering a new Netflix series.

This isn't just about creeping on your competitor's social media profile.

It's about gathering insights on everything from their content strategy to their customer service approach—and using those insights to level up your own game.

The best part? 

It's completely legal, and you don't have to feel guilty about it. 

In fact, it's a crucial part of any solid social media marketing strategy in 2025. 

Benefits of a Social Media Competitor Analysis

YouTube and Facebook lead as top social media platforms for brands, with Instagram close behind, highlighting a strong B2C marketing shift toward social media.

But it's not just about being on these platforms—it's about dominating them.

A social media competitive analysis can transform your entire digital marketing strategy from "meh" to "magnificent." 

Here's how:

Find gaps and opportunities your competitors are lacking

You know that feeling when you find the perfect parking spot right in front of the store you need to pop into for five minutes? 

That's what finding a gap in your competitor's strategy feels like. 

These gaps are everywhere once you start looking. 

Your competitors might be totally missing the mark—like ignoring their professional audience on LinkedIn or sleeping on Reels while their followers are desperately craving video content.

Need proof that spotting gaps pays off? 

Enter Ryanair.

While other airlines were pushing boring flight deals and stock travel photos, Ryanair's social team turned their “no-frills” reputation into social media gold by:

• Creating self-deprecating TikToks about their bare-bones service
• Turning their budget-friendly approach into viral meme content
• Nailing Gen Z humor on their platform of choice
• Maintaining authenticity while poking fun at their own brand

Result? 

Over 2.5M TikTok followers and engagement rates that leave premium airlines scratching their heads.

Bolster your content strategy

Ever notice how your competitor's posts get hundreds of comments while yours get about as much attention as an email about printer maintenance? 

Let’s change that. 

With a competitor analysis, here's what you'll uncover:

• Which social media content types drive the most digital engagement on each social platform
• What topics get your target audience talking
• When your audience is most active (using tools like Instagram Insights and Facebook Insights)
• What hashtags actually drive results

No more guessing games—just data-driven decisions that get your content the attention it deserves.

Improve engagement with your target audience

Want to know the secret to getting more engagement? 

Watch what works for others, then make it uniquely yours.

Enter Duolingo.

While other language learning apps were posting study tips and grammar rules, they studied the competition and went in the opposite direction. 

Their social media marketing team turned their mascot owl into a TikTok sensation by:

• Creating chaotic owl content that threatens users to do their lessons
• Jumping on viral trends faster than you can say, "Conjugate this verb"
• Turning their passive-aggressive notifications into viral entertainment
• Building a community that actually looks forward to being guilt-tripped

The result? 

13.9 million TikTok followers and a 45% increase in revenue for 2023.

Now that's what we call speaking your audience's language.

Boost your customer service

Customer service on social media is like performing surgery in public—everyone's watching, and one wrong move can be catastrophic.

Just ask Southwest Airlines about their epic holiday meltdown of 2022.

While thousands of stranded passengers were rage-tweeting about sleeping on airport floors, Southwest's cookie-cutter responses only fueled the social media fire. 

The fallout? 

An astonishing 220 million dollars down the drain and a masterclass in what not to do when your customers are freezing in airports.

And while Southwest was still fumbling with Band-Aids, Delta and American Airlines swooped in with relief flights and flexible rebooking policies.

Winning both stranded passengers and social media praise.

By watching how competitors handle their customer interactions, you'll:

• Spot customer pain points 
• Master the response styles that actually work
• Figure out the ideal response time
• Turn their customer service fails into your wins

Sometimes, your biggest opportunities come gift-wrapped in your competitors' mistakes.

Stay informed of emerging trends

Ever feel like you're always one trend behind? 

Like you're still practicing one TikTok dance while everyone else has moved on to the next?

Let's talk about spotting trends before they blow up.

Take BeReal's explosion onto the social scene in 2022. 

While established platforms were pushing polished content, BeReal became the most downloaded app globally by:

• Challenging the perfect Instagram aesthetic with unfiltered dual-camera shots
• Creating time-sensitive daily notifications that give users just 2 minutes to post
• Building engagement through random posting times
• Making authentic, unedited content the only option

The payoff? 

100 million downloads and a whole new approach to social sharing.

Increase brand awareness

Want to know how to make your brand unforgettable and increase brand awareness? 

Stop scrolling and take notes from the queen of social media sass herself—Wendy's.

While other fast-food chains were posting the same tired burger shots, Wendy's turned their social media into a spicy entertainment channel:

• Roasting competitors (and sometimes customers) with savage precision
• Creating a brand voice so distinct that everyone else is still trying to copy their homework
• Making their social team's snark into marketing magic

While other fast-food chains were still serving up the same reheated social media leftovers, Wendy's engagement numbers were making their competitors' metrics look like a 2 a.m. drive-thru order total.

How to perform a social media competitive analysis

Ready to become the Sherlock Holmes of social media analysis? 🕵️ 

Let’s uncover those juicy competitive insights.

1. Identify your competitors

First things first—who exactly are you analyzing? 

Start by identifying:

Direct competitors

These are the brands fighting for your target audience's attention.

Let's use an example: Say you're a fitness app. 

Your direct competitors would be brands like Nike Training Club or MyFitnessPal—they're targeting the same health-conscious users as you.

Indirect competitors

Sticking with our fitness example, think Apple Fitness+ entering the space, or Peloton expanding from bikes to general fitness content. 

They aren't traditional fitness apps, but they're definitely stealing market share.

Aspirational competitors

These brands have a social media strategy that makes your content calendar look like a rough draft.

In our example, those are brands like Red Bull or GoPro.

They might not be fitness apps, but their adrenaline-pumping content and community engagement are precisely what you're aiming for.

🎯 Pro tip: While everyone's watching the industry giants, keep your eye on those small but mighty competitors with insane engagement rates. 

Sometimes, the best insights come from the hustlers, not the heavy hitters. 😏

2. Gather intel on your competitors

Get set to become your competitors' biggest fan (for research purposes, obviously).

Here's your surveillance checklist:

• Posting frequency (Are they flooding feeds or playing hard to get?)
• Content types (From reels to threads—what's their content cocktail?)
• Engagement rates (The real deal, not their highlight reel)
• Hashtag strategy (The ones actually bringing in the crowd)
• Response times (Are they speed dating their customers or leaving them on read?)

Congratulations—you now know more about your competitors' social strategy than their interns do.

3. Conduct a SWOT analysis

SWOT might sound like a tactical police operation, but it's your game plan for turning competitor intel into action. 

Let's break it down:

Strengths 

What gives you the edge?

• Your content consistently drives higher engagement than industry averages
• Your response time beats the industry standard of 24 hours
• Your brand voice stands out in a sea of corporate-speak

Weaknesses

Where do you need improvement?

• Your content calendar needs more consistency
• Your presence across social platforms is uneven
• Your visual branding lacks cohesion

Opportunities

Where can you gain ground?

• Emerging platforms your competitors haven't mastered yet
• Content formats they're hesitant to explore
• Customer pain points they're overlooking

Threats

What should you watch out for?

• Competitors ramping up their social ad spend
• Platform algorithm changes that could impact reach
• New players entering your market space

This isn't just a checklist—it's your blueprint for spotting where you can pull ahead.

4. Analyze your competitors’ social media metrics

Let’s dive into the numbers! 

But don't worry—it's less "advanced calculus" and more "counting your competitor's wins and whoopsies."

Here's what makes social media rockstars smash it:

Engagement worth measuring

Don't just count followers—track comments, shares, and meaningful interactions. 

Having a million followers means nothing if their posts receive less attention than your "out of office" email. 

Look for content that sparks actual conversations and drives action.

Growth patterns that tell a story

Track follower growth over time. 

Did they suddenly gain 10k followers overnight, or are they building community the old-fashioned way? 

Sudden spikes are about as trustworthy as that "super-rich prince" in your spam folder. 

Monitor their growth alongside key campaigns to spot what's actually working.

Content that drives results

Which posts are getting all the love? 

Note the formats, types, and audience response. 

Your competitor's strategy is an open book—if you know where to look. 

Their top-performing content tells you exactly what your shared audience wants (minus the trial and error).

Strategic timing

Map when they post against when they actually get user engagement. 

After all, timing is everything. 

Kinda like trying to snap the perfect food pic, write a witty caption, AND add your #foodie #nomnom #blessed hashtags before your ramen gets cold. 

Time it right, and you'll hit your audience when they're ready to engage.

🤓 Pro tip: Focus on trends over time rather than individual post performance. One viral post doesn't make a strategy, but consistent engagement does. 🧐

5. Know your numbers: Benchmarks and red flags

Let's talk numbers. 

Understanding what “good” looks like is your first step to social media domination.

Here's how to calculate your engagement rate:

Engagement Rate = (Total Likes + Comments + Shares) ÷ Total Followers × 100

✅ Make sure you're using the follower count from when the post went live—because yesterday's viral post shouldn't be judged by today's follower count.

6. Utilize social listening

Think customers only talk about brands in the comments section? 

Nope. 

Every mention, hashtag, and conversation tells a story—and social listening helps you catch all the drama.

Even when they don’t “@.”

Here's what you're listening for:

• Brand mentions (both the love letters and the breakup notes)
• Customer complaints (the spicier, the better)
• Product feedback (what they wish your competitor would fix)
• Industry conversations (the trends, the drama, the tea)

When you spot tweets like "Day 4 of waiting for @CompetitorName to acknowledge my existence 💀"—that's your cue to show them what great customer service looks like.

7. Tweak your social media strategy

Now for the fun part—experimenting with what you've learned! 

Here's your testing playbook:

• Start small: Test new content types on a single platform before going all-in
• Track everything: Measure engagement rates for each tweak—what works for them might flop for you
• Adjust and optimize: Fine-tune your posting times, content mix, and tone based on accurate data
• Scale what works: Once you've got proof a tactic works, roll it out across your strategy

Give each test at least two weeks of data before making decisions. Social media success isn't built in a day.

5 Social Media Competitor Analysis Tools

Look, manually tracking your competitors is about as fun as doing your taxes with an abacus. 

(Remember those wooden bead-counter things on your math teacher’s desk? No? Just Google it, Gen Z.)

So, here are some competitor analysis tools that'll do the heavy lifting while you focus on world domination:

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics shows you what's happening behind those perfectly curated feeds.

What you get:

• Track where your traffic comes from (and which platforms are worth your time)
• Dive deep into user behavior to understand what drives engagement
• Set measurable goals and monitor your ROI with easy-to-read reports.
• Benchmark your performance against competitors to stay ahead of the curve.

The cherry on top? 

It's free. 

Like, actually free. 

Not "free trial that needs your credit card" free.

Best for: Understanding how social drives website traffic and revenue.

2. Semrush Social

Ready to turn that competitive FOMO into actual strategy? 

Semrush Social makes it happen.

Here’s how:

• Spy on your competitors' best moves and uncover the tactics driving their success
• Compare your KPIs side-by-side for a complete picture of your brand's social media performance (the good, the bad, and the "maybe we should delete that post")
• Spot trends early by keeping tabs on top social media accounts in your niche (before they become yesterday's news)
• Strengthen your strategy with insights and recommendations that work (not just "post more reels")

What sets it apart? 

Schedule, create, and share content effortlessly across all major platforms—because winning at social media should be simple. 

Unlike explaining TikTok to your mom.

Plans start at $139.95/month. Get started with a free trial.

Best for: Content strategy and scheduling.

3. Sprout Social

If your current analytics dashboard feels like trying to read a novel in 37 different languages, Sprout Social is here to turn that chaos into clarity.

Here's the scoop:

• AI-powered insights that do the heavy lifting for you—because your brain power is better spent on creative genius, not data crunching
• Hit the ground running with an interface so intuitive you'll wonder why you ever struggled with analytics 
• Plays nice with your existing tools without the tech drama
• Turn customer service into an art form with an AI-powered inbox that helps you respond faster than your competitor can say, "We'll get back to you."

Plus, their social listening tools catch all the tea your competitors' customers are spilling—even when they forget to @ them.

Plans start at $199/month. Get started with a free trial.

Best for: Comprehensive social media management and listening.

4. Hootsuite

While some social media analytics tools make you feel like you're solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded, Hootsuite keeps it simple.

Here’s the deal:

• Turn data into decisions—spot your winning content and perfect posting times
• Take the chaos out of content scheduling with a dashboard that lets you plan and publish across all platforms
• Never ghost your audience again with a unified inbox that makes response time your superpower
• Keep your finger on the pulse with social listening that catches every mention, mood, and market shift

The bonus? 

AI handles the heavy lifting—from captions to hashtags to content ideas—while you focus on the strategy that'll make your competitors wonder what you're up to.

Plans start at $99/month. Get started with a free trial.

Best for: Overall social media performance comparison.

5. Social Blade

Want to see if that competitor's explosive growth is legit or about as real as your aunt's "natural" hair color? 

Social Blade shows you what's really going on.

Here’s what they’re dealing:

• Dive into global analytics for any YouTuber, Twitch streamer, Instagram influencer, or Twitter account
• Uncover user growth patterns and spot emerging trends with ease
• Access a vast public database powered by advanced technology to track creators, streamers, and brands worldwide
• Stay ahead of the curve as new features roll out to enhance your experience

Consider it your BS detector for social media success stories—because numbers don't lie (even when influencers do).

Plans start at $3.99/month. 

Best for: Tracking long-term growth and spotting suspicious activity.

Stop Following Their Lead—Start Setting the Pace

Real talk—your competitors aren't posting without a strategy.  

They're out there right now, planning their next viral social media campaign while you're reading this.

But here's the difference: You now know exactly how to decode their strategy and use it to fuel your own success.

Time to stop watching from the sidelines and start leading the game.

Your move.